Developer: Chicken Launcher
Publisher: Realms Distribution
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
No Place Like Home – Review
No Place Like Home is a farming simulator with a twist: it’s set on an Earth that already saw its environment destroyed by global warming and human influence. That sounds depressing, but depending on how you look at it, such a setting is even more perfect as the backdrop for a story about restoring nature and saving animals. This is Chicken Launcher’s first game, and it’s clearly a passion project when you look at the update log and how the devs continue to tweak and add content all throughout it being in early access since December 2020, with more to come in the future. This means it’s high time for us to take a look too!
Story
In the distant future, the Earth has become one giant garbage disposal and the environment is mostly destroyed. The majority of humans have moved to Mars, and a young woman named Ellen will soon follow their example. Currently, she lives on a space station though. Right as she’s about to leave, Ellen gets a message from her grandfather, who requests her help with his farm back on Earth. Ellen decides to head there, but finds the farm in disarray and her grandfather mysteriously gone. It’s up to Ellen to find out what happened to him and rebuild the farm in the process.
The setup for the plot is delivered to us in the form of a very pretty animated cutscene at the start of the game. After that, you’ll find yourself in an open world where different story quests allow you to advance the plot at your own pace.
Graphics
No Place Like Home has some decent graphics. The game employs a third-person perspective, which, depending on the player, could be more or less preferable compared to first-person. The cutscenes and other 2D elements you encounter in crafting menus are really nice to look at as well. Exploring different locations is a major element of the game and there’s a great visual distinction between them, from the desert to luscious forests to arctic locales.
Sound
The soundtrack on the other hand can be a bit lackluster. Sometimes there’s no music at all for large chunks of time, which we can’t tell if it’s a bug or the developer’s intention. The music that is present is pretty run-of-the-mill and consists of upbeat instrumental tunes. The sound effects add a lot to the game, delivering an assortment of animal noises that are quite adorable. The game has no voice acting.
Gameplay
No Place Like Home is a farming simulator that sets itself apart from other games in this genre both through gameplay and setting. The most basic premise is familiar: your character starts out with a sparsely decorated cabin and an empty plot of land, which you’ll have turn into a thriving farm with crops and animals. You gather seeds, plant these, and water them each day to grow vegetables and fruits. You can also use different types of crafting stations to cook your raw materials into jams, preserves, and meals. Another crafting station you’ll use a lot is the recycling station, where you turn the trash you clean up into useful scrap. This you can then use to build coops or animal pens, as well as make furniture to decorate your house with.
The world is inhabited with plenty of colorful NPCs, who will trade goods with you and send you on quests. These NPCs are also where you’ll often get more recipes to continue crafting and upgrading around your farm. So exploring the land to meet them is a vital part of the game, and it will also allow you to find more animals. Since animals are not bought or bred in this game, they are befriended by giving them some delicious treats. Once the animal moves to your farm they can be named and dressed up, and they will produce their own stuff such as eggs.
Be aware though, in No Place Like Home the Earth is not as peaceful as you’d expect from a farming sim. Robots roam freely and will attack you when given the chance. Luckily Ellen carries around a huge sword to dispose of them. This gives the game a more action-packed feel, though overall even the fighting mechanic is pretty casual. If you want to have a completely stress-free experience, there is a creative mode available where all the items are unlocked from the start and you can simply focus entirely on making the farm of your dreams.
Conclusion
While a lot of the elements in No Place Like Home aren’t original, the ways the developers have implemented them in the game certainly are. Since the game is being constantly patched and while new content is added to the mix, it’s hard not to be excited over what else is to come for this already solid farming sim, with a fishing update already being announced. This is definitely a good title for fans of the genre to check out!
No Place Like Home - Review,
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